St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-27
THE COMMITTEE ROOM.


An examination of the premises showed
that it was possible for the story told by
HunSter to be true. From the outside.
with the blinds partially closed, as he said
they were on that particular day in Septem-
ber, a iull view could be got
ten of the sofa and all Of
the north half of the room.
Within this room, with the keys turned in
from intrusion as he would be in cell in
tie inner cage, lr)yding he did not forgot
to close the blinds tightly.
Sitting in his room in the midst of speci-
mems of wonderful scroll work and choice
plants that were blossoming under his care
full attention, Charles Hunster told his
story in straightforward, unaffected way
that would carry conviction to the heart
of almost any listener. The question
naturally arises, if this storyis true, if any
official of this prison was guilty of im-
moral conduct with the female inmates,
would it be possible for the
board of prison inspectors to dis
cover it. The only testimony
they could base judgment on would be
the testimony of a convict, and would this
be sufficient 10 convict an official of whose
integrity they had the highest opinion? Let
the public render the verdict.
THE MATRoN
The matron of the penitentary is an
estimable lady well on in years. Her hair,
once black, is now plentifully sprinkled
with gray and her face is scanned with
care. Hers is not pleasant lot. In
daily intercourse with the female
prisoners, her ears catch many whispers
and bits of prison gossip that is unWelcome
to them, but she has to deal with women
who possess ungoyenable tempers. and she
must govern by humoring them and not by
coercion. 1t is not strange, then, il during
the years that Matron McNeal has presided
over the female word of the penitentiary.
her ears have led her to harbor many sus
picion against the officials with whom she
was daily associated in her laborS, and if it
had been the practice for any one Of these
officials to ask of her day after
day, year after year, to send certain women
in her ward to consult with him on a sub
ject not made known to her, and the woman
should remain under lock and key
alone with that official for all
hour, and at times longer, and
when she came back to the ward and was
once more with her companions, she should
tell of transactions of an immoral nature
with the officials with whom she had been
McNeal, with the spirit of the true lady,
that she should protest against this conduct
with the official. This is what Mrs. Nc
Neal claims that she did. and this is the
answer Mrs. McNeal claims the official
gave her;
.'Who'll believe them convicts. What'll
wsat they say about me amount to. No
b0dy'll take their word
Perhaps this is true. Perhaps there is
no one on earth who will believe that
convict can tell the truth. but it has not
been many days since an official of one Of
the largest penal institutions in the East
was put behind the bars for immoral con-
duct with the females under his charge, and
he went there on the testimony of conyicts.
1t is not strange that q woman of Mrs.
McNears refined temperament should
break down under transactions of this
nature and when tine new administration
was established and some of the OLD rules
and the old habits were changed. the
weight of responsibility was in a measure
lift ed from the shoulders of the good
matron. and for several days she lay in her
bed. suffering from nervous proStration and
she has not yet fully recovered her
strength.